(A/N) Hi everyone! Lex here! I've been writing fanfiction for about three years now (or more) but I've never published one before because I've been nervous that no one will like it. I was even hesitant to post this one because I thought that someone would judge me for writing about Descendants. I've decided it's now or nothing... so here goes. I'm sorry this is so short; if people read this and like it then I will update again but if no one sees it in a two week period then I probably won't bother to update it. So if you read this and like it, do me a favor and share this with others who might like it? I would definitely appreciate it :) Anyway I love anyone who will bother to even read this first chapter. If you want to see more, I would love to see a review! Love, Lex

PS: This does not contain any Jaylos/Jarlos and I doubt it will have any Devie so if that's what you're into, get lost. (Only kidding). I also did not read the book and I'm not planning to, so if you really care that much, then this probably isn't the story for you.

Rated T for now but I'll change it if anyone thinks I should. Make sure you read the warnings in the summary!

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I do not own Descendants, or else there would have been Jayvie and probably some Cal.

MAL POV

I peer out the window of the shiny black car. In Auradon, everything seems nicer: less dingy, less dark. The people look livelier and even the plants look happy. Colors bombard my eyes, from bright yellows to soft pinks to gorgeous greens and it's all so different from the Isle that for a second I have to close my eyes.

Someone grabs my shoulder and I jump, but it's only Carlos, looking out over my head. His eyes, chocolate brown, sparkle as he turns to face me. "It's nice," he whispers. Compared to what we left behind, this place could be paradise. But that's the only thing he says, because when he thinks about exactly what we've escaped from, his face darkens again and he looks away.

"What do you think it'll be like?" Evie asks softly. Strands of her dark blue hair wink in the sunlight as she leans into Jay's side. He automatically puts an arm around her and her face relaxes, but I know with a glance that she's not comfortable. I can tell by her posture, in the way she holds herself all too carefully, that she's still in pain from last night.

"No matter what it's like, it can't be worse than the Isle," Carlos mumbles, running a hand through his hair. "At least here no one can deck you in the face for talking out of turn." He looks pointedly at the swollen purple mess that is Jay's left eye. Evie bites her lip.

Jay shrugs. "I don't care what it's like as long as my life isn't threatened every time I breathe." He shakes his head a little bit, letting his hair fall more naturally around his face and kind of hide his eye. Turning to face us, he continues, "Also, you three could stand to gain a few pounds."

Carlos raises an eyebrow. "Well, there wasn't exactly a buffet to choose from-"

"Guys," Evie interrupts. "We're out for now; can we please get along?"

"We weren't fighting," Carlos mumbles.

Jay gives her a wry smile. "Sorry to annoy you, princess."

She rolls her eyes at him, but I detect the blush when he gives her a sneaky peck on the cheek.

Carlos clears his throat, calling our attention back to him. He exhales slowly and asks, "So what do we do if it's worse?"

Jay leans back in his seat dismissively. "It can't be worse. It's impossible."

"Oh, I can think of several more ways it could be worse than home," Carlos counters.

"Nah. These people aren't allowed to do half the stuff our parents do," Jay says, grinning.

I turn back to the window, needing to think about something else. Up ahead, I see the peaks of the castle inhabited by the king and queen. And to the left, I see the school. It's tall and made of stone, with towers that could be intimidating if they weren't littered with stained glass windows. There's a neatly groomed garden in front with a statue I can't identify from here. And if I squint, I can just make out the corner of the sports fields behind the building. Not exactly the type of place I'm used to.

I turn back to the others. "We're almost there," I say quietly, trying to disguise the tremble of fear in my voice. Evie meets my eyes and gives me what is probably supposed to be a reassuring smile, but it does nothing to stop the pounding of my heart.

The car pulls up a narrow drive laid with cobblestones. Fountains and topiaries are left and right all the way up the road. I wonder idly if anyone can tell I'm shaking. Carlos puts his hand on mine, and as the pruned bushes fall away, we pull up beside the school. To my right, I see Jay's fingers close around Evie's.

The door opens and we step out shakily. I don't think I've ever held someone's hand quite as tightly as I am right now- I might be breaking Carlos's fingers. As I carefully straighten my hair and outfit with my free hand and glance up at the preppy kids standing in front of us, I hear a voice say:

"Welcome to Auradon Prep."

BEN POV

They're smaller than I thought, is the first thing that goes through my head. And scrawnier.

"Welcome to Auradon Prep," I say cheerfully, extending my hand. "I'm Ben." The biggest one- Jafar's son, what's his name, dammit- glances at the three others and reaches out to shake it, turning his head and revealing a black eye as he does so.

"Jay," he says shortly. I knew it.

I turn to the girl with purple hair. Her purple and green leather jacket dangles off her like it's too big for her petite frame. She's pale, with piercing green eyes. She jumps as I offer her a handshake, but then accepts. "Mal," she says, shifting her weight awkwardly to her right leg and staring at the ground.

Next is the girl with blue hair, and I remember her name before she says it. "Evie." Neither girl looks me in the eye, and neither does the boy standing behind them all. I extend my hand, but he just closes his eyes. "That's Carlos," Evie says briefly.

There's silence for a moment. I glance to my left, meeting eyes with Audrey and finding a weird expression on her face, like something is very very wrong but she doesn't want to show it. Returning my gaze to the four silent kids in front of me, I say, "Do you guys want help finding your dorms?"

They don't answer.

"Well, if you go in through the main doors, you'll see a map of the school. You guys are in the North Tower, rooms 13 and 17. 13 is for the girls. Follow the map and if you get lost, just ask one of the suits of armor and it will let you know where to go. I will personally come to get you guys for lunch and afternoon classes. Any questions?"

They all shake their heads, still not speaking. Unsure of what to do, I say, "Okay, see you guys then. Come on, Audrey."

I grab Audrey's hand and turn away, heading across the grounds toward the tourney field. Glancing back over my shoulder, I watch them gather their things from the car, and I'm so distracted that I almost trip over the bleachers.

"Ben! Look where you're going, please," Audrey says, forcing me to tear my eyes off the four new kids.

"Sorry," I respond. "It's just-

"Something's wrong," she interrupts. "They're not acting right. None of them."

"I'm sure they're just nervous about coming to a new school," I respond, even though there's a nagging doubt at the back of my mind that says there's something more.

"Only Jay would even look you in the eyes, Ben!" Audrey cries. "And they've been hurt, too, couldn't you tell?"

"I saw the black eye-"

"You didn't see the one on Mal's cheek? Or how the other girl- Evie- was wincing every time she breathed? And the smaller boy wouldn't even talk to you! He didn't let you touch him!"

I know I have to stop her before she goes off on a tangent. "Hey," I say soothingly, "we'll figure out what's wrong, and we'll help them, okay? I knew something was off; they were giving me a weird vibe. We'll figure it out, okay?"

She nods, taking a deep breath. "I'm gonna go see if Jane or Lonnie noticed something weird about them."

"Okay," I say. "Just give them some space, at least until lunch? This is a new place and I want them to be comfortable."

She nods again and heads off toward the school. I watch her go in, and then I head for the garden. I need to find Doug.

(A/N) Well I hope you guys liked it! I'd like to see at least... one... review before I update again? Even if it's only concrit. But I will probably update in a week or so regardless. I'm sorry it's short, I don't think my chapters will ever be very long but they will probably get a bit longer than this. I want to try to get on a schedule so at least you'll have regular updates. Love you guys!

Love, Lex